


A Tangled Anthology

by armajesty



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Extended Scene, Quirin stinks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:55:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24260023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/armajesty/pseuds/armajesty
Summary: A collection of drabbles revolving around the characters from (Disney’s) Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure. These fics can range anywhere from 500 - 1500 words. They are not connected unless otherwise specified.
Relationships: Quirin & Varian (Disney), Rapunzel & Varian (Disney)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	A Tangled Anthology

**Author's Note:**

> First and foremost, a huge thanks again to PeachyPuffin for beta-reading and making this fic ready to see the light.
> 
> I hope you guys really enjoy this one! This scene has always been one that is extremely powerful to me -- and one that is extremely important to Quirin and Varian’s relationship. I hope you all enjoy it.

Varian watched in complete shock as Quirin marched his way through the tall, wooden doors, exiting the throne room. He immediately joined his father’s side, struggling to keep up as they headed down the hallway. Varian stared up at his father, shocked at what he had just witnessed. He could hardly believe his own father had just lied to the King.  _ The King. _ The alchemist knew the ‘prosperous crop report’ excuse that Quirin fed to the King was a lie, but the King must have known that too. So then… why?   
  
“Dad, none of that was true,” Varian accused, gesturing back towards the throne room. There was an intense desperation in his voice, as he was unable to hide his emotions. “Old Corona is being destroyed--” he argued, appalled as his father continued to walk down the hallway, as if he hadn't just  _ lied to the King _ .

“Old Corona will endure,” his father harshly stated, effectively cutting Varian off as he came to a halt. “You’ll have to trust that I can handle this,” Quirin concluded, leaving no room for argument as he pushed his way past the boy. 

Varian swiftly followed his father again, not wanting to let the conversation end there. He took hold of his father’s bicep, pulling harshly to bring his dad to a stop, forcing Quirin to face him.

“H-How can I trust anything when my own father just  _ lied to the King’s face _ ?” Varian shook his head furiously as he stuttered over his words. His voice lowered at the mention of the King and his father’s spreading lies, in fear of anyone overhearing. The raven-haired boy gestured towards the door once again in a desperate attempt for answers.

“That’s **_enough_** , Varian,” his father gravelled out, towering over Varian in an intimidating manner. _Shit._ _He’d gone too far again._ The boy's thoughts swirled in his mind, making him feel dizzy.

“Yes, sir,” he forced the words out, his voice low and cautious. Varian felt frozen, his feet plastered to the ground and legs trembling as frustration rose within him. He couldn’t move, feeling as if the moment he raised one foot off the ground the other would buckle beneath him and send him sprawling to the floor. He simply watched as his father turned away from him, heading down the hallway and away from his son.

_ How could his father willingly choose to ignore the problem at hand?  _ He questioned, his gloved hands tightening into fists.  _ How could he turn on the citizens of Old Corona, promising that the situation was ‘under control’?  _ His stomach somersaulted, nausea prickling at the back of his throat as he tried to put a lid on his emotions. He intended to cram them into a jar and cast them aside on a shelf to store for later. Varian knew that his father wouldn’t bother with his thoughts, even if he got on his knees and begged and pleaded for Quirin to  _ just listen for  _ **_once._ **

He didn’t notice when the princess quietly made her way out of the throne room and into the hallway, nor when she closed the door behind her with a soft  _ click. _

“Varian?” Rapunzel called out to him. 

She slowly approached him, her bare feet silent against the cool tiles of the palace floors. He was still as a statue, almost breakable. The princess cautiously reached her hand up to rest it upon his shoulder. Varian watched as her eyes scanned over him, calm and collected. He could tell she was analyzing him, trying to figure out what was wrong.

“Is everything okay?” Rapunzel asked, her voice holding a sympathetic tone.

Despite her attempts to be gentle, the moment her hand came into contact with Varian’s shoulder, the alchemist flinched away, violently, as if he had been burned. He turned his gaze to the ground, squeezing his eyes tightly closed.

“No! It’s not,” Varian gasped, tightly wrapping his arms around himself, shaking his head. He stared at the tiles below him, their soft, orange hue bathed in the sun's light. With his eyes he traced the grits connecting each of the tiles, wishing that his hometown could have the same sort of glue holding them together. He knew his town was falling apart at the seams. The people had faith in his father, but they were growing weary of the black rocks. They were afraid.

“Rapunzel, we came to see your dad about the rocks in Old Corona.” Varian began to explain, turning his eyes upwards to meet the Princess' vivid green ones. He could see a twinge of optimism in her gaze.    
  
“Yeah, but your dad just said--” Rapunzel cut in, in an attempt to reassure the boy. It was almost as if she was completely oblivious to the rocks that were destroying  _ her _ kingdom. How could she not know about them?

“My dad  _ lied _ , things have gotten worse,” Varian corrected, scrunching up the fabric of his dress shirt in his fists as he tightly closed them. A dark expression settled over his face as he lowered his head. His bangs fell over his eyes as he closed them tight, preparing himself for whatever Rapunzel had to offer in response.

“How much worse?” She eventually asked, his voice low. The girl took a step closer, concern lacing her features as she watched the boy's knuckles begin to turn white from their tense hold on his shirt.

Varian ground his teeth together as images flashed through his mind. He remembered the local well, wrecked with rocks, leaving the citizens of Old Corona without water. He thought of the crumbled houses, their cobblestone walls pierced by the indestructible rocks, the image forcing a shiver down his spine. The citizens who previously inhabited those houses were left with no home and no place to go. He pictured children's toys strewn across the city streets, toys that had been gouged through by the rocks with their stuffing strewn across the gravel, mocking a horrific crime scene.

And then there was his house.

Varian’s laboratory was riddled with rocks, many of them reaching the top of his workshop’s ceiling. He felt extremely relieved that his alchemy equipment hadn’t been damaged, threatened by the large rock that jutted out of the centre of the floor. It splintered off in different directions, almost as if multiple rocks had merged into one. The rock had been a test subject of his for a few days, ever since it sprouted up from the ground. Sadly, his lab hadn't been the only room affected by these rocks. There were smaller ones scattered throughout the hallways, in the kitchen, and even in his bedroom. One of the rocks had nearly broken the family portrait displayed in the hallway that led towards Varian's lab. The rocks had knocked the irreplaceable piece of art off the wall, but it was luckily left unscathed, much to Varian’s relief. However, the rest of the rocks didn’t halt for anyone--or anything--and Varian knew they would destroy everything within their path unless he did something to stop them.

“A lot worse,” he mumbled, it being all he could muster. He knew that Rapunzel wouldn’t be able to comprehend even half of what was occurring in Old Corona. She hadn't seen what he had.

“Don’t worry Varian, I haven’t forgotten our agreement." Rapunzel began, reaching out to place her hands upon his shoulders. She gave him a reassuring squeeze before continuing. "We’re going to figure out the mystery behind these rocks,  _ together. Just _ give me until my father returns. Everything is going to be okay,” she insisted, offering him a soft smile to try and cheer him up.

Varian hesitated for a moment as he met her eyes. The alchemist searched her face for any trace of dissimulation. Unable to find what he was looking for, a small grin crept its way onto his face, not quite meeting his eyes. 

“I promise,” Rapunzel added, it was the exact icing on the cake that Varian needed to lift his spirits.

"Thank you, Princes--uh--Rapunzel," he took a small step away from her, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder. "I need to find my dad, but... thank you," he repeated before taking off down the hallway. Varian still had his doubts about the rocks, but a promise from the princess had to mean something.

Didn't it?


End file.
